


3 AM Chess

by lehnshxrr



Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: M/M, This is just pure fluff tbh, also an au where they just live happily alone for the time being, slight angst too, they are both crushing hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-08-11 01:26:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20145280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lehnshxrr/pseuds/lehnshxrr
Summary: Charles and Erik really need to stop drinking while playing chess together, because one of them is bound to slip up and accidentally drop a hint about how he really feels for the other.





	3 AM Chess

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first fic in forever and first time writing cherik so pls excuse any awkwardness. a follow up chapter is probably going to happen though because i love them too much and the prompt of Accidental Oversharing to be done with this.

Erik's weakness was always German beer. 1 or 2 turned into 4 or 5 and that turned into a loss of count. Charles decided not to keep count of how many glasses of scotch he poured for himself, making him quite unreliable to keep count for Erik as well. 

Happily intoxicated inside the mansion at an ungodly hour, the third game of chess was becoming quite hard to focus on. Erik knew some of the moves he made were against his better judgement, but Charles couldn't think straight to even notice. Whoever won this game would break the tie, and neither liked losing. 

"You know," Erik interjected as the last drop of beer left the bottle, "we could always finish this game up tomorrow. It is quite late." His mind and body was far past tingling, and he knew he could only stand a chance at victory with a sober focus. 

Charles wasn't the easiest man to persuade and he would never give up on a game this easily. Especially not on Erik. Charles knew from experience that Erik would only suggest a break if he knew he was in danger of losing. "I don't think so, dear friend. I have you right where I want you." The grin that formed on his face after he spoke, however, made Erik's heart stop. 

The alcohol blurred his conscious, but that word brought him back. Friend. Charles would only ever view him as a friend, and Erik had spent weeks trying to convince himself it was fine, but tonight he wanted to go against his better judgement and come clean. But somehow he knew he wouldn't. The dynamic of their friendship - what Charles was planning for the future of mutants - he couldn't risk ruining their bond over some silly crush. He would rather have Charles as his best friend over an awkward acquaintance. He had to focus on chess now, not him. 

"Carry on then," Erik hazily smiled. He didn't think twice when he opened another bottle of beer, he was desperate to bury his feelings. Anything to distract him from the glimmer coming from Charles's eyes, or the waves in his messy dark hair, or the way Charles would scrunch his eyebrows when he was pondering his next move. The adorable, yet insufferable, little details he had picked up on for the past few months as his feelings only grew. 

The game continued but Erik found he had an increasingly hard time trying to care about the pieces in front of him. Intoxication made him forget about how he had no chance with Charles but consequently made him think about how perfect Charles was anyways. The time of day started to wear on his body and mind, as well as the heartache mixed with passion he was feeling, and eventually decided to ~accidentally~ make a bad move to speed up the process of Charles winning. He needed to sleep off his desire to lean over the table, grab Charles by the collar, and pull his stupidly perfect face in front of his before he made out with him. 

"That's 2/3," Charles nonchalantly gloated after the checkmate. He was glancing at Erik, thinking about how much he cherished their time together, especially on nights like these. Where they could just play chess until 3 am and talk about anything and everything. Charles felt safe with Erik, he was the only person who could understand him anymore. 

Erik was too distracted in the trance of Charles's eyes, that happened to be looking right at him, to care about him bragging. The sleepish smile from the winner followed by the quiet, tired moan as he laid back on his chair was enough to send Erik through the roof. "I guess you still have it, my love." 

As soon as he said it, Erik wanted to take it back and vanish from the face of the earth. He couldn't even tell if it was him who said it or the alcohol coursing through his veins. He only silently prayed Charles was not only tired but drunk enough to not comprehend the true meaning of his words. It was only a word.. a simple word.. but Erik had never used a pet name before in his life. Not aloud, at least. He knew a sober Charles would pick up on the phrase, hopefully a drunk Charles didn't question it. 

But when Charles giggled in response, Erik's heart stopped again. "My love?" Charles repeated him, his eyebrows raised, curious to his word choice. "You are very expressive, you know, when you want to be." Inside, Charles's heart was racing uncontrollably. He didn't know what context Erik meant it in, but he knew he liked it. Erik only responded with a shrug, unable to think of anything to say to defend himself, too scared to trust his own words in case he made the matter worse. "I think its time for me to sleep though," Charles stood. He could read that Erik was embarrassed and mildly uncomfortable. Erik only wished him a simple goodnight as he glanced at his crush leaving the library toward his bedroom, but Charles was secretly hoping Erik would say it again before he left. 

It wasn't long before Erik did the same, his mind still racing even when he was settled into his own bed. Should he tell Charles it meant nothing? Would he even remember it come tomorrow? It could be the perfect time to confess how he really felt, but that confession could ruin their friendship if it wasn't mutual. Charles barley even reacted, and replaying the conversation in his head only made Erik sadder. He didn't react because he didn't feel the same, surely. So he would hope Charles was drunk enough to completely forget, and if he wasn't, he would blame his own beer and it's impact - keeping his feelings forever concealed. 

Meanwhile, down the hall, Charles had a hard time falling asleep as well. He always knew Erik was much more reserved about his feelings and thoughts, Charles knew if Erik was ever going to know he had feelings for him, he'd have to admit them. But now Erik... was he trying to leave a subtle clue? Or was the beer talking in him? Charles truly forgot how much he was drinking, as himself. Bringing it up could only make matters worse if it meant nothing... but bringing it up could mean everything if it was something. And then he remembered the look on Erik's face after the word came out; the shock but genuine lust. That's not a reaction from a drunken man, is it? Charles beat himself for not saying something similar back, barley acknowledging the phrase. What if Erik thinks he doesn't like him back? Charles decided he would have to tell Erik everything - that he fell in love with him the minute he saw him. That he was too scared to come clean because having him by his side meant more than being alone. But this all wouldn't matter if Erik didn't remember what he even said, or if he even wanted too. 

The two of them laid wide awake, hopelessly in love with each other, panicking about what to say in the morning.


End file.
